What is the CLEAR Plan already doing?

Tree Fredericksburg Project

Fredericksburg’s partnership with the volunteer-led Tree Fredericksburg has resulted in the planting of nearly 3,400 new trees throughout the city since 2009. The city’s tree canopy, at 44 percent, is already the fifth-highest in Virginia, and Fredericksburg and Tree Fredericksburg have committed to increasing the canopy by at least 5 percent by 2020.

Community Trails Project

Fredericksburg is aggressively moving forward with plans for trails to link different parts of the city. The Rappahannock River Heritage Trail that opened in 2012 has been popular among residents of the entire region, and the Virginia Central Railroad Trail is expected to open in 2014.

Sustainable Building of Courthouse

The new courthouse under construction in downtown Fredericksburg is being built to LEED Silver standards.

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Recycling Initiatives

The Rappahannock Regional Solid Waste Management Board, a partnership between Stafford County and Fredericksburg, is consistently a leader in the state in recycling efforts, and offers valuable resources to residents, including opportunities to recycle and information on composting and other waste-reduction practices. According to 2012 data from the state Department of Environmental Quality, the R-Board, as it is known, achieved a recycling rate of 49.4 percent, which is the highest in the George Washington Region and beats the state average of 41.5 percent. King George County was also cited in the 2012 recycling report from the Department of Environmental Quality for drastically increasing its recycling efforts. Its rate of 44.7 percent was the second-highest in the region. Spotsylvania County was next, at 44.6 percent, and Caroline County reported a recycling rate of 19.5 percent.

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Environmentally Friendly Farming

Private landowners in the George Washington Region are also doing their part. Silver Ridge Farm, owned by the Silver family of White Oak, in Stafford County, was recently recognized by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack for its conservation efforts, which include nutrient-management practices, no-till planting and the use of cover crops, all of which help keep soil, sediment and excess nutrients out of the Chesapeake Bay. Other farmers in our area are using conservation easements and adding agri-tourism and community supported agriculture programs to their business mix in order to ensure their farms remain open space for years to come. These efforts should be lauded and encouraged.

Friends of the Rappahannock has for years been a leader in this Region in many of the areas addressed by this plan. From holding workshops to help homeowners install rain barrels to organizing forums for landowners to learn about important topics such as hydraulic fracturing and the rules of conservation easements, FOR is a true asset to sustainability efforts in this Region

Regional Sustainability Initiatives Inventory From Other Environmental Groups in The Region

Click here to learn more about the other sustainability initiatives happening in our region